Tuesday, May 02, 2017

A sensational storyline!

Take one....

About ten years ago Titanic film director, James Cameron, claimed to have discovered the burial casket of Jesus on a Jewish building site [time,bbc]. Furthermore, he also said that he had caskets for Mary Magdelene and a supposed child of Jesus and Mary. This was supposed to back up the anti-Bible propaganda that had been spread by the Da Vinci Code. As usual, Bible skeptics jumped aboard the bandwagon, claiming that this archaeological find undermined the authority of the Biblical narrative entirely.So what did Cameron have? A few boxes inscribed with common 1st century Jewish names. No bones, but supposedly small traces of DNA. An air of pseudo-academic integrity. Oh, and an eager-to-be-persuaded anti-Christian media circus.Was this journalism? Certainly not the balanced, thought-provoking reporting that does justice to such a story. Was this commercialism? For sure, Cameron is used to making money from the box office. Was this sensationalism? Yes, a few half-strung-together observations construed to reach an unlikely conclusion. But sensational stories appeal to today's entertainment-saturated audiences...

Take two.....

So - take two. Here is a more sensational story than Cameron's... innocent folk-hero abused, harangued and executed by mob. Buried carefully and lovingly by heartbroken friends. Guarded by commando troops, who evacuate the burial ground due to seismic disturbance and extra-terrestrial activity. Tomb cracks open. Body missing. Jesus is alive!For the full sensational story, check out the Gospel accounts. For a clear explanation of the resurrection story, check out books like "Who moved the stone" (Frank Morrison) or "The Case for Christ" (Lee Strobel).This is not fiction, it's truth - 'Christ died for our sins according to the scripture; and that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scripture' - the Bible (1 Cor 15. 3,4)